Day: November 30, 2018

CMLL Martes: 2018-11-27 

thecubsfan
Soberano & Hechicero

Recapped: 11/29/2018

Matches:

Mercurio & Pequeño Nitro beat Kaligua & Shockercito
(12:25 [5:43, 3:16, 3:26], 1/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Cancerbero, Metálico, Nitro beat Pegasso, Robin, Star Jr.
(12:21 [5:57, 3:28, 2:56], 1/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Lluvia, Marcela, Princesa Sugehit beat Dalys, Reyna Isis, Tiffany
(10:18 [6:06, 4:12], 1/2 DQ, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Black Panther beat Dragón Rojo Jr. in a lightning match
(4:08, springboard dropkick, bad, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Soberano Jr., Stuka Jr., Titán beat Hechicero, Templario, Vangellys
(9:56 [4:45, 2:23, 2:48], 1/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Ángel de Oro, Diamante Azul, Niebla Roja beat Ephesto, Mephisto, Rey Bucanero
(12:00 [3:59, 1:39, 6:22], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Rey Bucanero hasn’t forgotten Niebla Roja shaved his head. It didn’t figure into the finish. That’s about all there was to storylines.

A poor lightning match is capped off by the referee not counting three when Black Panther has decided to end the match (early) and then counting it right after. Black Panther is angry at the referee, Dragon Rojo, and the world after his win.

Reyna Isis does the slowest mask removal bit possible to set up tossing her mask to Princesa Sugehit. She does it right in front of Referee Edgar, who has no reason but to be distracted. Everyone is just baffled.

Thoughts: 

headscissors could’ve been tighter but good setup

It’s too bad the third fall of the semi-main went off the rails a bit because it was an interesting and fun match to that point. Titan and Hechicero getting to an armbar hanging over the top rope within 40 seconds was not the traditional start to a CMLL trios match. They continued to have creative moments in the first fall, and Hechicero and Soberano had a great finish to that fall. The second fall was solid, but the third started off with Templario slipping on a springboard dropkick. It never really got going from there, with Soberano having a less obvious slip and the fall seemingly coming to an end really quick. Nice effort at least, more than most matches.

I only watched the lightning because I heard it was remarkably not good. It definitely was not good! Dragon Rojo, doing who knows what (fasting?) to get ready for the bodybuilding contest has little energy even just walking to the ring. Panther gets more out of arguing with the referee than Dragon Rojo, who is too tired to take a takedown. The one time Panther whips him cross corners, Dragon Rojo pitifully slow. Panther had already decided to end it and is not helped by a referee who must’ve believed they weren’t ending that soon. The “no condition to perform” term is usually applied to people who are on some mind-altering substance, but Dragon Rojo was just as much in no condition to perform and CMLL shouldn’t have let him go out for his match. There’s no great gif or video to pass around, so it’ll go under the radar this time. CMLL should feel lucky.

Leyendas Mexica show in CMLL tonight, Dragon Lee/Exatlon

thecubsfan

CMLL has a legends shows tonight. Infrequent Legends shows in Arena Mexico draw well. Many of the older wrestlers still are semi-active in smaller arenas, but there is a special attraction to seeing them back in Arena Mexico. The problem is they are old men (always men, the women aren’t getting brought back) and many have lost the athletic ability to have good or even OK matches. The better ones still have the mental ability to put on a good show, while some are less willing to adjust to their current state. The quality of the matches will not at all matter to the fans this show is intended to draw; they just want to see their childhood heroes one more time. If you didn’t grow up watching Canek or Rayo de Jalisco and lack a nostalgia for them, this may be a tougher show to get there.

A show being a draw and a show being a good idea are not the same. There’s a risk to putting these older guys in the ring one more time. The Cuervo/Angel o Demonio situation was a tragedy that could’ve been avoided. Angel o Demonio shouldn’t have thrown that brick, and someone should’ve stopped him from having a brick to throw. I hope all the old guys (and the young guys!) get thru this show fine but, if something happens, it’ll also be something that could’ve and should’ve been avoided. Jerry Estrada hasn’t been on a CMLL show in 25 years and it is good he is being honored. It’s also a bit worrisome that a man most last knew as being in a wheelchair is having a wrestling match. (The explanation being told is Estrada rehabbed and got back in ring shape.) CMLL has stopped putting Cien Caras in the ring, so there is a limit to who they will use. You’ve just got to hope as a fan that they’re making safe decisions here.

Of the three legends matches, the Los Diabolicos versus Trio Fantastia match should be the best. The Diabolicos were always really good, and Santana, Condor, and Gallego are pretty active on the indies. Solar & Negro Navarro would normally be expected to hold together that trios match, but Solar’s looked shaky in his Arena Mexico appearances this year. Felino will be needing to work harder than usual. Last week’s main event was built on creative deploment of Mascara 2000 to hide his weaknesses. This week’s main event has him as maybe the second best wrestler. Canek & Rayo have been immobile for decades and Villano IV has been limited to mostly stand and punch for a while. CMLL made a mistake by not including a couple of younger guys to carry the load.

The upside of this tournament regular matches look good. The micros have remained fun. NGD versus Terrible/Rush/Cavernario is a new and interesting match. Guerreros versus Caristico, Mistico, and Volador is not really that new but should be really good based on that past history. It also may be a trios title change for math reasons: the not-Sky Team winning the belts would reduce the Universal tournament participant list from 18 to 17 (or the perfect 16 if Electrico does not count.) This should be a memorable show, and hopefully a postively memorable one.

Lucha Central has a preview of the show. It’ll stream at 8:30 pm on Marca (currently region blocked) and Facebook. I’ll stream it on YouTube as well.

MLW announced Dragon Lee vs Rich Swann on 12/13. Dragon Lee & Golden Magic are replacing Fenix against Laredo Kid an upcoming Arena Xalapa show, That show has been moved from 12/20 to 12/18. It would now be Dragon Lee’s first match in Mexico. Fenix will still be appearing at the show.

Dragon Lee was on an interview show talking about his Exatlon appearance. He says he lost muscle mass on the island because he was eating only twice a day instead of the five teams he normally does. He’s working to get back in condition before getting in the ring. He was surprised to be taken out of the game, figuring the show would just treat the ear infection and he’d be able to return to the game. Dragon Lee also disputed rumors that the elimination game he won was thrown by the other participant and that he was angry about his face being exposed at a concert all his team attendant. Dragon Lee’s story here is he knew someone would inevitably take his photo, so he switched clothes with someone else to fool the photographers about his identity.

LA Park was interviewed on the popular Escorpion Dorada YouTube show. It is nothing something I watch, but a lot of people do – he’s got 5.5 million subscribers and the Park video already has near a million views after a couple days. LA Park talks stories about his career, including being in jail for a month in Satillo after sending a fan to intensive care after a fight. I stumbled on an article about that when going thru the archives a while ago – it was late 80s, if I recall – but I bet he tells it better.

Arena Puebla’s Astro (Aereo) has opened his own school in Tlaxcala.

+LuchaTV will stream the 10/28 Kaoz show starting at 7 pm tonight.

LuchaWorld has the latest news update.

RIOT says they’ll return on 02/02/19 with a surprise show.

Puma King has a video from Lucha Capital.

CMLL Puebla: 2018-11-26

thecubsfan
Rey Apocalipsis worked very hard on this

Recapped: 11/27/2018

Matches:

Astro, Centella Roja, Meyer beat Espíritu Maligno, King Jaguar, Rey Apocalipsis
(12:29 [6:40, 3:42, 2:07], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Black Tiger, El Malayo, Hijo del Signo beat Arkalis, Súper Astro Jr., Tigre Rojo Jr.
(12:13 [5:07, 3:00, 4:06], 1/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Flyer, Kráneo, Volcano beat Felino, Tiger, Tyson La Bestia
(17:16 [6:45, 2:30, 8:01], 2/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

La Bestia Del Ring, Okumura, Terrible beat Ángel de Oro, Niebla Roja, Soberano Jr.
(15:31 [5:57, 2:46, 6:48], 1/3, n/r, VideosOficialesCMLL)

Carístico, Valiente, Volador Jr. beat Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto
(10:26 [2:40, 2:31, 5:15], 2/3, ok, VideosOficialesCMLL)

What happened:

Announcers have a discussion about Black Tiger being a rudo. Miguel Linares wants to know why he changed sides, while Julio Cesar Rivera taunts his new found ability on the rudo side. It seems like a permanent change. This ends the investigation into Black Tiger rudo turn.

Thoughts:

Zacarias as Black Warrior

The main event was heatless by CMLL standards. There was no reaction to the técnicos comeback in the second fall. The interactions between the técnicos and Tirantes got more attention to the rudos, who aren’t really a much of main event trio at this point. It’s great Último Guerrero got his guy Templario on his team, but these are the Hijos del Infierno are the ones who really need the help if CMLL is going to keep using them in these positions. It felt like they essentially gave up doing all that much in the third fall, with Volador playing handshake games for most of his time in. Carístico did his average run, and the rudos were lost a bit with Valiente. This was a handwave ok match and that feels generous.